Facebook ’s $ 22 billion acquisition of popular messaging app WhatsApp last yearraised some eyebrows . Facebook already has a pop messaging app , the in - house Facebook Messenger , not to mention a popular exposure - sharing app , Instagram . Why did it need to lend yet another app into the sheep pen ? Would n’t the three apps terminate up cannibalizing each other ?
But as WhatsApp , Messenger , and Instagram bear on to grow , with monthly active user numbers swelling to 700 million , 600 million , and 300 million respectively , Facebook has proved that naysayers know nothing about what people want from the apps they utilize every day . Product chiefs of WhatsApp , Messenger , and Instagram took the stage at Facebook ’s annual F8 developers group discussion in San Francisco on Thursday to disperse any myths about rivalry between the three apps — and hint deeper cooperation ( or integration ) could one day come .
Messaging apps are so ubiquitous , it seems like there are plenty of exploiter to go around .
On joining Facebook and competition
Joining Facebook was an gentle determination , and not just because Mark Zuckerberg dropped some billions on the table . WhatsApp cofounder Brian Acton , Instagram cofounder Mike Krieger , and Facebook ’s David Marcus , frailty president of electronic messaging , enjoin the substructure and talent Facebook cater makes it possible to ameliorate the apps without worry about server or hiring the good engineers . The punishing clobber is manage .
Acton say a key cause WhatsApp get hold of Zuckerberg up on his offer was because of Instagram .
“ We seem at it as a model for winner , ” Acton said . “ We were able to have the confidence that our partnership with Facebook would play well . We had an alignment of commission in terms of connecting the creation ’s population . ”
( Left to right ) Moderator Mary Meeker , of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers , with Brian Acton , cofounder of WhatsApp ; Mike Krieger , cofounder and proficient tip of Instagram ; and David Marcus , VP of message at Facebook .
Now that WhatsApp is in the Facebook flock , the internet has two messaging apps that Zuckerberg hopes will reach a billion user each . So WhatsApp is n’t concerned with Messenger ’s forays into payments and political program .
“ We proceed to germinate our products severally , ” Acton said . “ Platform is not top of intellect for us . It ’s about build a simple , reliable and fast production . We share ideas , applied science , and infrastructure , but there ’s no strong competition . ”
Is it possible that Instagram , Messenger , and WhatsApp will finally become a communication monolith , a lineament - loaded app that lets you message booster , make restaurant reservations , and ante up your rent without ever leaving Facebook ? for certain , but not any time before long .
“ When the time comes , we ’ll do it in an intelligent and thoughtful manner , ” Acton articulate .
On making new products
The reason the three apps remain on their own instead of being incorporated as features in the main Facebook app is concern about bloat . Instagram launched a new app , Layout , or else of folding a picture collage tool into its chief app to avoid overcharge Instagram with extras . Facebook was often criticized for cramming too many features into the big naughty app , and so it started spinning off new ideas ( and a few old ace ) into stand - alone apps . That quest for easiness is what also drives Instagram , Krieger say .
Messenger is now a platform , not just a stand - alone app .
The same goes for Messenger , whichopened its weapons platform to third - company appson Wednesday to give people option like GIFs and memes without tot a whole plenty of features .
“ We could ’ve built a deal of those capability in Messenger and made it ho-hum and less dependable , and we did n’t want that , ” Marcus said . “ We want message to be super fast , reliable and dependable , but at the same clock time want masses to have those originative tool . Discovery is in Messenger but the content you apportion on Messenger is n’t created in the app . ”
And developer are n’t too felicitous about it , but WhatsApp ’s mission to make its app static for every mobile chopine around the world is celebrate the company from releasing an API . There was some groaning in the crowd , but Acton stood his ground .
“ We want to be deliberate about flood people with content they do n’t want , ” Acton say . “ I receive emails from the great unwashed on a routine basis who require to run their business with WhatsApp as the backbone of communicating . We do n’t require to buzz a individual ’s telephone just because we can . ”
